Mud shoe



Jam 9 c. H.1KEARNY 2, 7,2 9

MUD SHOE Filed Nov. 1, 1943 fl\ FY1905.

l .9 4 C-resson H. Kearny Patented Jan. 16, 1-945 UNITED arem Gresson Kearny, United-:States Armw,

wFortClayton,

/ Application Novemb'er 1, 1E943,-SS'erial No."508'r21 ("01. sc 7.5) I

fiGranted under the act v:of March '3, "1883, as amendedilipril gl), 1928'; 3'70D. T57) 96 Claims.

vide art-shoe iforrwalleing over bogs, :quicksand .or

ground composed of mud itoo :isoft -t suppo t :human beings.

v .Another :object -,of the invention is to {provide a bog or mud shoe which is light in w eight,.-strong I .and (durable in construction, :efiicientin use and which man be quickly [and readily applied to -.and removed ifrom-the \wearersiootmnshoe.

. Heretofore :the;shoes employed in walking .over

tsoft mud ;:or the like quickly produced :tatigue .or

,permitted the -,wear.er:thereof .to become-mired in.

the mud :due to the weight of. the material tadhering to each shoe as withdrawn frorn thamud and also ,to the partial vacuum created :by the ;suction ;produced as :the i-shoes were .forced into and withdrawnsfrom-the mud. .It is- .the refore':the -aim and purpose of .rthisiinventionto provide bag .or mudshoes ofrsuchconstnuction that the wearer zthereof zmay walkruponsoilt m d or -the,like with- :out tiring or being'; mired ,therein, by giving to the wearers foot or:shoeeanincreased.supporting,

{area-in the horizontal .plane. vwhen pressed downward upon the -so'ft. mud orithedike, while giving them aismallertarea inathe horizontaltplane when :raised therefrom wherebytthe mud ,orvothe'rrma- V :terialisshedromthe :sides and ends roft the;shoes.535 iby ,flowing or falling thereover, thus permitting the feet to be easily raised fromtthemudor other material." i

=With the .abovetand other objects and \advanwtages in view,-the.inventioniconsistsf certain -:features -.of construction and operation of parts :which willshereinaftepbedescribed and shown in .-the accompanying-drawing.in.which (Fig. .31 is (a perspective view of the improved .rbog :or imud shoe,"

Fig. .The sole 3131886 J :is illustrated -as being in ithe form of a segmental -.member, the longitudinal side edges 5--10f which con-verge toward :each other from the --front :edge 3 to a rearedge "6 of theheelzportion J of thesole piece 4 .A pair of side members 8 in the formof flaps :or :wings 'are .swingingly connected \to the :longivtudinal side edges 55 of the ,sole ,piece 4| by. spaced hinges .9, Fig. z2.- 'llhe ,rear ends 8' of the .side members .8 are provided twith portions L0 which extend :inw-ardly -in-opposedrelation-to each other adjacent -.t0 the rear-edge -6 .of the heel ,portion 1 of the sole piece I, with the inneredges ill) .of

the portion -Lfl ,being inspaced relation with each other to ;-provide a clearance \therebetween,

.and the longitudinal side edges L] :of .the side ,members 8 converge toward :each other .from thevfrontgedgevhofithe soletpieceil ,to-the rear .edge .6 thereof eSO ,as .to conform {to the longitudinal vsidess-edges 5 10f the sole .piece. The =front ends 1x2 of the side flaps or i-wing .members 18 project beyond Lthe front -redgei3 v.cf thesolepiece ,l, with the .inner edges :13 \of .the front ends ,[2 being .made straight and .spaced from the side edges [4 0f -the ,toe piecetl, to,.provlide a clearancetherebetween.

FIYhe toe ,piece 2 iandside iwingflmembersi 8 .nor- .mallyaextend in the samehorizon'tal planeras the sole-piece .or support (I .and are prevented from u turning .upwardlyibeyon'd the horizontal ,plane of the ,sole ,piece or support by ,an-ylsuitab'le means such as by .the restraining members J5 c and I5 villustrated "in .the 'form ofibars which are, mounted on the sole .piece J by screws v L6 -or the like.

,Theirestraining ,memhers II!) .for the side wing membersB which extendctransverselywacross the .sole piece or support! "in suitablyv spaced rela- ,tion above the side members '8 project outwardly fromithelongitudinal side edges ,5 of;the

side wing members and theres'training member I 5 projects longitudinallybutward from thejfront edge ;3 of theisole ,piece above the central portion of .the .toe ,pieceI2. .Thejport'ions of the. restrain- ,ingmembers I5 and 5 .which project. outwardly; ifrommt'he. s,ole,piece I tiextendfinthersame horizontalplane -as the sole piece, whereby. th.e. t0e piece 2 and side members Bare.restrainedifrommoving upward beyond the same horizontal plane as the sole piece. In order to yieldably maintainthe toe piece 2 and side members 8 in the same horizontal plane as the sole piece, any suitable, means such as the springs I! are provided at-the outer ends of the restraining members l5 and [5, with the upper ends of the springs I1 being secured piece or support I by the hinge 4 as shown in to the outer ends of the restraining members l5 and I and the lower ends of the springs being suitably secured to the upper surfaces of the toe piece 2 and side members 8 at I8.

The heel of the wearers foot or shoe may be prevented from slipping backward on the sole piece I by any suitable means such as the heel support It here illustrated as an arcuate-shaped raised flange 20 mounted on the heel portion 1 of the sole piece. In order to secure the shoe to the wearers foot or shoe, straps 2| are attached to the heel support l9, which straps 2| are adapted to pass about the ankle of the wearer for fastening the improved bog or mud shoe in place, and straps 22 are fastened to the sole piece or support I, which straps 22 are adapted to be passed over the foot or shoe of the wearer for fastening the sole piece I thereto.

When the bog or mud shoe is clearof mud or pressed downwardly therein, the toe piece 2 and side members 8 are yieldably held by the springs l'l against the restraining members l5 and in the same horizontal plane as the sole piece or support I but in raising the shoe from the mud the toe piece 2 and side members 8 readily swing downwardly against the action of the springs I! as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. This downward bending of the toe piece 2 and side members 8 is caused by the suction or partial vacuum between the shoe and the mud when the shoe is lifted, which suction or partial vacuum is caused by the air being expelled from between the shoes and mud when the shoes are pressed downwardly into the mud.

In order to break the suction effect or partial vacuum under the shoe when it is raised in soft material, the heel portions ll] of the side flap members 8 which curve around the heel of the It will thus be seen that there is herein provided a novel and efiicient form of bog or mud shoe which is well adapted for the purpose indicated. Even though there has been herein disclosed the invention as comprising certain features of construction and operation of parts, it is nevertheless to be understood that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scopeof the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and Wish to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A mud shoe comprising a support, a toe piece and side members movably mounted on the support, means yieldably holding the toe piece and side members in the same plane as the support, and means for securing the shoe to the wearers foot.

2. A mud shoe comprising a support, a toe piece and side members movably mounted on the support, means restricting the movement of the toe piece and side members in one direction on said support, means yieldably holding said toe piece and side members in a horizontal plane against said first mentioned means, and means wearers foot or shoe tilt upwardly, thus prying the mud at the heels of the shoes and permitting air or water to rush thereunder whereby the suction efiect or partial vacuum is eliminated with the toe piece 2 and side members'8 which swing downwardly, allowing the mud or other material to flow over them, thus permitting the feet to be easily raised from the mud or other material.

Should the wearer of the improved bog or mud shoes sink several feet in soft mud or other material such as quicksand, he can literally pump himself to the surface thereof because each time the foot is raised and. then pressed downward, a part of the mud or other material above the shoe is pressed under the shoe due to the toe piece 2 and side flap members 8 at their outer edges biting into the mud or other material when they swing to a horizontal position on the downward movement of the shoe into the material. The toe piece 2 and side flap members 8 can be completely under the sole piece I and stood upon without damage or resulting in any decrease of efliciency in the shoe.

The invention is illustrated and described as having the form for the application to the feet or shoes of human beings which is the most im portant use thereof, but it will readily be understood that the shoe is not restricted to this use as it may readily be formed for application to horses hoofs and the like.

for securing the shoe to the wearers foot.

3. A mud shoe comprising a sole piece including ends and side edges, wing portions, one of said wing portions hingedly connected to one of the ends of the sole piece and other of said wing portions movably connected to the side edges thereof, means including yieldable members holding the wing portions in the same plane as the sole piece, and means for securing the shoe to the wearers foot.

4. A mud shoe comprising a sole piece including a toe end and side edges, wing portions movably connected to the toe end and side edges of the sole piece, rigid members mounted on the sole piece, means connected to yieldably hold the H wing members in engagement with said rigid members, and means for securing the shoe to tl'fe wearers foot.

5. A mud shoe comprising a sole piece including toe and heel ends and longitudinal side edges, wing members, one of said wing members movably connected to the toe end of said sole piece and other of said wing members hingedly connected to the longitudinal side edges of the sole piece, said last-mentioned ring members including portions adjacent to the heel end of the sole piece, means yieldably holding the wing members in the same plane as the sole piece, and means for securing the shoe to the wearers foot.

6. A mud shoe comprising a sole piece including toe and heel ends and longitudinal side edges, wing members, one of said wing members swingingly connected to the toe end of said sole piece and other of said wing members swingingly connected to the longitudinal side edges of the sole piece, said last-mentioned wing members including portions extending in opposed relation to means for securing the shoe to the wearers foot.

CRESSON H. KEARN'Y. 

